MIDNIGHT UPDATE: Liberty Square has been retaken. New York, get down there now! See below for Live updates from the ground.

Tonight, expect a General Assembly in Liberty Square at 7pm, a noise demo in front of the Manhattan jail at 9pm, regrouping en masse at Liberty Square between 10pm and midnight, then partying in the streets as we go mobile. See here for full plans for the night!

GAs, protests, and parties are also taking place at Occupations in Boston, Oakland, DC, Chicago, Minneapolis, Los Angeles, Nashville, Tampa, Bloomington, Toronto, Amsterdam, Tahir Square in Cairo, and elsewhere across the world. Find your local Occupy and come out if you can! What better way to bring in the new year than making a New Year's REVOLUTION?

If you can't make it out, find your local Occupation's livestream and social media accounts -- it's even better than watching the ball drop. New York livestreams have been intermittent. Try:

2:30am: Dozens of arrests made at 13th & 5th ave. Some still marching down 6th Ave. Targeting journalists, photographers, livestreamers with violence. Liberty Square mostly dispersed, crowds gone out to celebrate and prepare for the New Year.

2:20am: Police block off street, mass violent arrests happening!

2:10am: Mass of police vehicles rush north on Church Street, sirens and lights blaring, presumably after march up 7th Ave to Union Square.

2:00am: Police using horses to clear sidewalks, attacking peaceful protesters in the street. Hundreds of police vehicles. Arrests also reported at march in Soho.

1:05am: March at Fulton and Nassau, police still following. Reports police attempting to kettle protesters on sidewalks. A few more arrests reported. Others headed back to defend Liberty Square, where riot police continue to mass and threaten Occupiers.

12:45pm: Thousands still in Square, as march leaves Liberty. Headed down Broadway, police moving in pursuit.

12:40pm: Party continues at Liberty. Cops backing down for now. Barricades are twinkling after Occupiers hung lights across piled barricades.

10:55pm: The People's Library has returned to Liberty Square! [Picture here.] tz55A67WQ

10:45pm: Protesters corralled into Liberty Square and surrounded by police. From Twitter: "Cops are swarming liberty square, tearing down their own barricade in their pursuit of protesters. People are being forced back in the park (#irony)"

10:40pm: Multiple Occupy groups on the move throughout lower Manhattan. More arrests on livestream. Liberty Square barricades torn down by protesters; Occupiers inside. OWS New York is taking back our home!

10:20pm: More arrests. At least four confirmed.

10:10pm: NYPD has blocked off Bowery & Canal, racing to catch up to the march.

10:00pm: Police appear at anti-prison march, protesters continue march with banners, chanting "Occupy Wall Street is in town, burn the prisons to the ground!'" Unconfirmed reports of at least one arrest.

8:00pm: After Occupiers hold General Assembly in Liberty Square, NYPD closes off access to the park claiming rule violations because some people (including children) set up a "toy-sized" (via Newyorkist) tent. Protesters now marching around Liberty Park chanting "All Day, All Week, Occupy Wall Street!"

Go OWS! You give me a reason to get up in the morning. Government by the people, of the people, for the people. No corporate personhood. Go local, buy local, and support small cottage businesses. Small is beautiful and personal and responsive and for the people. Happy New World.

America, no longer the home of the brave, the land of the free, but the land of the slaves.
For decades, your leaders did make you believe that Capitalism was the way to go, making all other systems evil.
Capitalism, you make it or you loose, wasn’t that the motto?
Up to the very moment that the banks got in trouble and should loose, by the very definition of the system.
Suddenly Capitalism was set aside and every American had pull some dollars out of his wallet to save the banks.

Please do no fool yourselves, you are now living in the Socialist United States of America and every dollar you take out of the ATM machines make you
more a slave to this system. It takes brave people to admit, we have been wrong.
Money once was a mean of making your wealth portable, an I owe you, and all was well.
Today money stands for power, freedom and “the law does not apply to me”. We live in a world were we are made to believe that our president is the one in power,
where in fact, he is only a puppet on a string for those who are really in power. America, home of the brave, land of the free.

When do you wake up and face facts, when are you really going to be free?
In all discussions here at OWS, all problems can be brought back to one thing: Money
When do you make the choice that not the money in your pocket but the goodness in your heart makes you to what you are?
2012, according to the Maya Calendar, the end of all things, let’s make 2012 the start of a better world.

I agree with some of what you´re saying, but please don´t use phrases like "Socialist United States of America" That´s just silly. USA has state-capitalism (as many others) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=el1CdxiDo6M

btw, there´s nothing new about bailouts. Reagan gave lots of tax dollars to citibank back in the 80s fex. Private tyrannies have been dependent on states for a long time.

I´m not. I just pointed out that using phrases like that is a little silly, because USA is not a socialist country. It´s not socialism just because some institutions are financed thru taxes. But the word "socialism" - which originally ment that workers should be in control of production - is hard to use nowadays so maybe this dicussion wont be very constructive..

I agree with what you say that the US is not socialist. Over the past 30 to 40 years we have become a very right-of-centre nation. Liberals here are, generally speaking, to the right of conservatives in England, for example.

Thank you, for you're reply.
could you explain one thing to me? You say : "which originally ment that workers should be in control of production", but since the workers put in their labour, why should production be in control of someone else? Is that not called democracy?

A society based more or less on Anarcho-Syndicalist principles was tried out in the largest scale in history until it was eventually destroyed by force. In Catalonia Almost 2 000 workplaces were run by the participants, societies were based to a large extent on direct participation etc. Also today we see many successful co-ops. So, we know it works, the hard part is to dismantle the existing power structures.

It is my assertion that Democracy is supposed to balance capitalism and socialism in order to create a framework whereby every citizen can realize opportunity for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Untethered capitalism creates an unhealthy society. Too much socialism stifles incentives for individual achievement. To many people associate socialism with evil and have misconceptions as to what it actually is. Our public schools represent a benefit to society as a whole and are therefore representative of a benefit derived from socialism. The banks were bailed out as a result of untethered capitalism that ran amok. Without the bank bail outs, society as a whole would have suffered greatly. As a result, a solution was applied that is a kin to socialism. Unfortunately, there was no other benefit to society other the to save our financial markets from collapse. The lack of 'social responsibility' (socialism) on the part of Washington and Wall Street (in favor of untethered capitalism) made the bail-outs necessary. Greenspan, Geithner, Summers, and others, subscribed to the teachings and philosophy of Ayn Rand. She favored untethered capitalism. To this date the Republican party continues to 'fully' embrace these evil teachings and philosophy. The Democratic party isn't much better. Untethered capitalism KILLS democracy. It is like a vampire that sucks the life out of Democracy and enables a Washington endorsed Corporatocracy. LONG LIVE OWS!!!

There is libertarian socialism which combines individual freedom - the freedom to control your own work and be creative on your own terms - and direct democracy, collective decitionmaking built from the bottom up:

The GOP what happened!!
Rom is the 1%. Corporate paid suit.
Our country is headed in the wrong direction; Are You Kidding Me!! The GOP is the one who put it there! After electing a good person who is trying to save America you vote it down or recruit societies senile by misleading! The tea has got to be the worst party in history! At least OWS is doing it for a true cause! You people actually stood up in council meetings over false accusations on Heath care reform!! Thanks to the GOP- Death panel, really..make a copy of the actual page, paragraph and article number of the page- notarized! I bet you can’t find it, go ahead and try-do it. You can’t because it’s false!! Your lies will catch up to you GOP/tea, indep…. but for now continue to be the puppet feeding lies for a vote! OBM did more in 3 years than the previous administration-GOP did in 8! !! That’s what the GOP/tea, indep., party do is lie and mislead for greed (taxing), power(Chief), self preservation with a vote while the US suffers. PROUD Conservative, ashamed of the party. What Happened!!
The GOP what happened!!

My family has battled WallStrret corruption since 1995.WallStreet owes my family billions and billions from a pass and possible on going suit. With hundreds of millions offered and settled on us. Of the five members of my family three of us were used to gain all awards as the courts failed to prove injuries to others. The court and state politicians are refusing to release our awards. We seek legal aid not just for ourselves but to promote more action as well jobs and a better future for all of us tried of the selfish corruption harming us all.
court documents at. www.mftms13.wordpress.com

The tea has got to be the worst party in history! At least OWS is doing it for a true cause! You people actually stood up in council meetings over false accusations on Heath care reform. Death panel, really..make a copy of the actual page, paragraph and article number of the page- notarized! I bet you can’t find it, go ahead and try-do it. You can’t because it’s false!!
Your lies will catch up to you GOP/tea, indep…. but for now continue to be the puppet feeding lies for a vote!! That’s what this party does is lie and mislead for greed, power, self preservation and a vote while the US suffers. Your comments to OWS by GOP/tea-indep., get a job take a bath!! Defecation in the park, noise level really, stated by Mayor of NY, “UNFOUNDED ALLEGATIONS,” in other words no proof of it!! That’s all you do is lie and mislead! Do you think those kids liked to be in the cold, on the ground. They are educated people fighting for a cause but of course you would not know about that.- Your cause is limited government gee I wonder why? Correction I already know! Look at the current Congress you put in!! Any one who follows the tea must be uneducated or have an alternative agenda.
The thought of you all of you GOP/tea, indep. running the whole country is the worst, sickest idea in the history of the United States of America!
Social Security was put on the table by the new Congress voted in by the Tea!!! We toldyou, GOP puppets!!
OWS Great Job!! Awesome…The US believes in you!! To the hate filled comments by GOP/tea, indep., pathetic!!

The GOP what happened.
We have for our PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES The cheater/sticky fingers-- N. Gingrich. Rom., Really a hand shake bet on a health care issue with Perry then the next day state, my wife said that I don’t bet really well. These are people lives not puzzle pieces!!!!!! -Rom reminds me of the dirty politician who smiles in Americas face then goes under the table with China and Russia or anyone in that case for greed not the US (I would NOT trust him with my dog). He does not flip flop but is playing a chameleon role on the US. He is so transparent!! Then had Crawford publically endorse him (a has been by the way) as the Liberal face, really !!! The corporate paid suit which is why the media is pushing him imagine him in office who will suffer, not his suits and I will make a bet on that but the US!!! He reminds me of a snake-sickening-(to the highest factor worst offense) M. Romney.
Perry no comment lower than Palin. Bach., really you are not neither will you ever be a replacement rep for Cain!! Presidential candidates, really an embarrassment The GOP had respect now all we have is this!!!!
GOP what happened… WTH happened! Proud conservative refuse to even touch the GOP/tea.

The problem in my opinion isn't just the government, business, or the 1%. The problem is that 100% of Americans are so apathetic they don't do anything about it. If people would care about other people more there wouldn't be homeless people because people who had enough to step in and help them, businesses would try to create jobs (helps business too in case someone in business got scared and read OWS website, open your eyes we all need each other!) everyone would have enough to eat, everyone could get what they need because people would be willing to give 5 minutes of time or 5 dollars of food to help them get back on their feet. Learn to see the person in front of you, whether they be a fellow occupier, the cop arresting you, the businessman trying to ignore you on the street, the homeless guy on the corner, the little kid in the add who needs help -- everyone-- as a person. As family. You help family, right? Do what's best for them, don't leave them out in the cold, keep the world a good place for them in your own little corner of home. If the world sees itself as a house instead of a planet, sure there might be a little sibling rivalry, but no major wars. Start today. Try it. Look in someone's eyes. The cop isn't going to pepperspray you in them if you remind him/her of their family... If you show the world none of us are adversaries but brothers and sisters... Take away the anger, the money, the agendas, and just be people. If showing this kind of love doesn't change the world, I promise it will change the world for you and the people you touch.

"If people would care about other people more there wouldn't be homeless people because people who had enough to step in and help them, businesses would try to create jobs (helps business too in case someone in business got scared and read OWS website, open your eyes we all need each other!) everyone would have enough to eat, everyone could get what they need because people would be willing to give 5 minutes of time or 5 dollars of food to help them get back on their feet."

Middle class and poor class people can't do this on their own continually. They may be able to help out here and there, but giving enough to people every day would render them homeless.

The REAL issues need to be addressed. If corporations didn't control everything, the government wasn't run by corporations, those in power couldn't get away with whatever they wanted, and things were fair across the board for EVERYONE (and I don't mean everyone receives equal pay for every job, either), there wouldn't be any homeless. The root of the problem needs to be addressed and changed. What you are saying is only a band-aid for the symptom.

Putting the burden on the ones who aren't making and breaking the laws is not fair at all.

Elijah Rising is now used by high schools and colleges as a teaching tool. The manuscript was placed in Teaching Tolerance Library of the Southern Poverty Law Center by Morris Dees under title: Michael’s Journal
The mysticism and religious fanaticism of the Dust Bowl era has had a profound impact on the arts. Popular TV shows like HBO’s Carnivale have brought this strange time period into the mainstream. These were years marked by war, a global depression, racial hostility, and a collective search for salvation. In author Lyn LeJeune’s new book, Elijah Rising (inGroup Press, October 2011), a man’s descent into madness begins as the world goes to war. Disillusioned with his boring life in New York City, a wealthy white heir to a railroad fortune follows a black tent-fundamentalist preacher out west. Their goal is to bring God to those uncivilized and uncharted parts of America. But as they venture deeper into the unknown, it is they who may most require the grace of God. Elijah Rising is a love story filled with captivating descriptive writing, profound characters, and a learned sense of history. LeJeune has written timeless, high-end fiction for even the most discerning tastes.
*Note from author: Howard Zinn – greatly missed – was one of my first readers. He wrote this to me: “I read it in two sittings, became involved in the story. You write every well!” Now who wouldn’t have pursued the book to publication? It is now published by InGroup Press.

Hi OWS people. Happy New Year!! I am proud of all of you and have signed up.
Please take no notice of the negative branding given OWS by---- Fox Media - The 1% - GOP - Tea Party- U.S. Chamber of Commerce etc. We all know the public sector is almost 100% controlled by the "Charles Boycott Agents" representing the 1%(Global).

In October 1880, Charles Boycott (Land Agent/Sheriff for the 1% at time) wrote a letter to the The Times of London, England. In his letter he complained of the villigers / locals near Ballyglass, Co. Mayo., Ireland, using passive resistence against him and his family. But the letter backfired and gave rise "boycotting" / passive resistence. Later, Gandi and Martin Luther King noted this.

May I suggest more boycotting/passive-resistence in the summer of 2012.

(I am white, 60 yrs old and have a small struggling business with 3 employees)

Thank you OWS for taking on the serious work of trying to make our daily lives better and pointing out the serious injustices in this country. ie... like the rape and pillage of the country's wealth and resources by the 1%.

And so it is,the Fascist State has rid itself of free thinking Police and is acting for the Plutocrats by stifling the rights of Citizens to protest against the criminality of the Financial Barons.Individuals have had their votes stolen in the guise of Democratic Government acting only for the unelected Corporate thugs.This will grow more violent because the Police are there not there to serve and protect the public but to do the bidding of their Paymasters.Prediction 1- Corporations will have banded together to recruit a private Corporate Police Force under the guise of Corporate Security.These will work as front line shock troops with the regular Police backing their movements.Prediction 2-Corporations will actually purchase the STREETS surrounding their bolt holes from the City.Prediction 3- This will be done in 2012 as they have to hurry and do it before the Federal Election.We all know that Fascism did not die at the end of WW2,it manifested itself as a Corporation controlling Governmental outcomes and manipulating Countries to wage WAR for their own benefit.The BIGGEST protest is COMING.Make sure you VOTE.When the Politicians SEE that the 99% are the owners of the Government then and only then will change happen for the better.Question,have they caught the criminal Bankers from Iceland yet?Their Government has warrants out for them I hear.The first thing to do is to make sure that the Republican Party of America is wiped out at the polls.Here in Australia we voted in a larger than normal amount of Independents with the result being a hung parliament acting more moderately.Our two major parties had to make compromises in order for one to form Government.The same will happen again in 2013 because the worlds Financial Dictatorship is demanding more swill for its` trough and we are all in the same boat.I am the 99% and I will VOTE for change and Independent Politicians not affiliated to the major parties.Remember,a hung Parliament WILL listen to the PEOPLE.

Their were a million people at the New Year’s celebration, yet only a few hundred people will turn out to support the movement. They rather support Wal-Mart and other Corporations than to stand up for their economic equality. People need to understand that the corporate lobbyist have destroyed the democratic process. Both parties have sold us out for thirty pieces of silver.

I think Obama will appoint Cordray as the head of the CFPB during this recess. He has to throw us a bone after voting for the Defense Authorization Act which is filled with unsubstantiated claims about Iran described in the Kirk/Menendez Amendment forced onto that Act by the Israeli Lobby dominating US foreign policy decisions in our congress
The I lobby and Israel are marching us towards a confrontation based on false claims. I sure hope OWS picks up the NO WAR WITH IRAN movement as one of their focal points

I covered on my blog from the moment OWS took back Liberty Park. Of course the NY Post demonized OWS as usual. If you want to effect change you have to wake up to who are the bad guys and posers here in NYC and I am said to say you haven’t. NYC gov corrupt officials down to community boards and certain city councils members are living large and they must be exposed and forced out of office if you want change.

You do not know the largest White Collar Crime case NYC gov is starting pre-trial Jan 5 -- all info on my blog -- and the US Attorney will not go back in time to Rudy throwing out AutoTime created and run by City Workers who are now being laid off as corrupt crooks make a fortune from Bloomberg being the king of out sourcing. http://suzannahbtroy.blogspot.com/2012/01/911-tech-scandal-aka-ectp-did-verizon.html I get so sick of going on and on trying to wake up New Yorkers I dress in drag as Mike Bloomberg and announce I, mayor Bloomberg am resigning 2012 -- abuse of slush term limits, pension abuse, Tsunami of community crushing development -- mass displacement, CityTime -- he pushed SAIC -- SAIC now exposed for role in killing innocent civilians Afghanistan and 911 Tech has military Northrup Grumman and ex NYC gov DOITT are lobbyists or working for them now... If you want a revolution you have to get the message out -- there are the largest white collar crime ever NYC gov - no NYC gov officials arrested! The People have to learn and we need clean sweep leadership from NYC gov to community boards -- the People are not beign represented.

Happy Birthday Bradley Manning! You are a hero! You did what the MSM refused to do provide the American public with reports about what was really going on in Iraq. What did our government and military learn from Vietnam? Get rid of the draft, do not show or report to the American people what is really going on in a war. Never show them the pictures of their dead or our dead and never ever accurately report about how many Iraqi people are dead, injured and displaced.
And now these same warmongers have been stirring it up about Iran and want the US to militarily strike Iran. No no no no no no no

Wow, I don't know what to think of your name. You want a new world now, but you use the same characterture to label those who you disagree with. Sonny boy, you cannot produce the whole cake and eat the whole thing too, no matter how tempting it may be. You have to share some of the pie with us all, or it is just the same ol', same old.

I was watching this documenrty of the struggles that the civil rights had and how most of the leaders at that time who fought against greed (1%) were shot and killed. I wanted to share since it helps to see how the past isn't much different from today and it crazy how this has been going on forever! The doc is called ... Black Power mixtape! It is streaming on netflix. if you want see it right now. :) (if you can.) power to the people! keep OWS alive!

Happy New Year (I hope)
Here are my thoughts on bringing back manufacturing jobs to the US: When I was a kid, most products sold here were made here, and good jobs were abundant. But corporations found that they could reduce costs by tapping into low cost labor in places like China, even with the higher shipping costs from overseas. But our tax structure is adding to the problem of high costs here because we require employers to contribute to many of our social programs like health care insurance, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and Unemployment insurance, whereas many other countries fund these programs through an individual income tax or sales tax. So the cost of all these programs that is factored into product pricing here is part of why our labor costs are so high and why our jobs are outsourced. I would not suggest eliminating those programs. What I would suggest is a major overhaul of how we collect and distribute tax revenue, and a reform of our programs and tax structure in order for us to adapt to the reality of global trade. Here is an idea for a reform package:

Eliminate all payroll related employer taxes and contributions to our health insurance and entitlement funds. This will lower the cost of US made products significantly. Shift the source of funding for these costs to several higher income tax brackets.

Impose a national sales tax of 5% on all retail products, including all energy, sold in the US with the proceeds distributed to US manufacturers and producers based on their US employee head count as tax credits for retaining or hiring US workers. Because most products sold in the US are imports, most of the sales tax revenue would be a result of the sales of imports. The concentration of those tax credits to US manufacturing would be passed through to consumers who buy American by lowering the after-tax cost of US made products. This sales tax would negatively affect those with low or no incomes, so:

Guaranteed minimum income (GMI), funded through the income tax. Eliminates unemployment insurance, incorporates the food stamp program, and phases out *Social Security over the next 2 or 3 decades. Long term employer contributions are raising the cost of US products, and high net worth retirees don't even need SS benefits. Only pay out benefits to those who need them. Include a wealth paydown requirement for long term benefits under GMI.

Recover all of our military costs of keeping the global shipping lanes open through offloading fees at our ports. We are currently borrowing to spend $100 billion yearly just on military security for foreign oil shipments (not including war costs). These costs need to be passed through to the consumer in order for the import vs. domestic free market to work properly.

*The balance in our SS trust fund is only a mirage. The money has all been spent on Reagan and Bush tax cuts and financing those tax cuts. We have borrowed and spent $9 trillion on interest expense alone since Reagan started the tax cut/debt snowball rolling. I think we are now forced to stop the investment account approach to SS and convert to a GMI lock box program that pays benefits only as needed. But this would require a phase out period where those who have paid into the fund do receive their benefits under the current program.

p.s. This is the YouTube http://youtu.be/yaTzHHJNLD0 where I use humor to educated -- It is a press conference where Mike Bloomberg is forced to resign and I look like a cross between Richard Nixon and Mike Bloomberg. If you want radical change -- if you want a revolution we need a clean sweep from City Hall to community board and OWS you have to watch who you are embracing because they are hurting you.

Unfortunately democracy requires an educated public and that was destroyed with No Child Left behind or as I call it Education by the Lowest Common Denominator (test teaching). Thus the situation we are in today where only 1% of the 99% has the intelligence to make informed votes.

If anything, democracy has failed just as much as Capitalism, for the majority.

That´s why we have to continue fighting for a better society. That fight includes enlightening, convincing and meeting with people - learning from others. A sustainable, democratic and just society isn´t just something that we would be more happy living in, it´s also necessary in long term perspective.

That first link nicely opens the topic of "What kind of Society do we want?".

We need this discussion to take place between average Americans so they have an idea of what is possible vs ideal, or even decide on a general direction to go. I like Tomas Paine for this, but we need some heavy modernization with his work.

Trying to shoe horn an Agrarian flight-of-fancy into a 21st century platform is like looking for morality in the hallucinations of desert virgins.

Brothers, i think we are in wrong way, what ever happened in russin , but we know that protesters suppurted by US gov. It mean ,they are playing in the 1% 's playground, please think about this, if you want to know who is right?, so look and find who is against US , of corse not all of them but you can fine who is right

The number of occupations were increasing throughout the US until the main occupation at NY was captured by the authority by force. Following this, more and more were captured in the same forceful manner. The resistance from the occupiers were minimal. They belief in non-violent resistance. As the number of occupations dwindled, so too the number of supporters for the movement and so too the number of its activities. Already, some are considering the OWS as history. Museums are collecting memorable items from the movement for exhibitions.

Will OWS see the end of another year or will it be completely dead before the end of the year? It depends. If it remains the same, its a gonna. If it changes, it still has a chance. It should consider changing its philosophy, strategy and tactics.

Sure hope the OWS folks take up the efforts being pushed by the Israeli lobby in the US congress and Israel's efforts to push the US into an unnecessary military confrontation with Iran. Over the last 8 years many of the same individuals who created, cherry picked and disseminated the false pre war intelligence about Iraq have been endlessly repeating unsubstantiated claims about Iran. And most if not all of the MSM outlets have allowed these false claims to be repeated with no challenging and rational questions asked.
Best places to read accurate information about the situation with Iran.
RACE FOR IRAN (Flynt and Hillary Mann Leverett were both in the Bush administraiton and quit just before the invasion of Iraq because they disagreed with it) Flynt Leverett was also a former CIA middle east analyst.

Another excellent website to read about the situation with Iran is STEVE WALT AT FOREIGN POLICY

NO SANCTIONS AGAINST IRAN BASED ON FALSE CLAIMS
NO MILITARY ACTION AGAINST IRAN